Want to Send Someone Special To Disney World

[peanutsmommy10]

Ok this is SO last minute but I really need Dis'ers help here. My son has the most awesome speech therapist and we've become very close and good friends and she has never been to Disney World. Her last session with my son is this coming week and I want to give her her dream trip to Disney world or at least help her to get there. I have no idea when she and her family would go or where she would want to stay so I don't think booking a package deal would work well. She's going back to work in a school setting verses going to parents homes so that's why she's leaving us after this week. I figured getting tickets would be good. It's for her, her husband, and her 7 year old son. Should I just flat out buy them for $900 at the disney store or is there a better solution? I was thinking 7 day tix also as opposed to 4 days because the savings is only $100. First timers I belive need 7 days. Thanks for all the help!.

 

[whoopsiedoodle]

First of all that is awesome!! Perhaps you should give her a card and tell her what you want to do and ask what would make it easiest? I know it takes a little of the magic out but what if they can't afford 7 days or she doesn't have that much vacation time right away? Either way, I'm sure she'll be blown away by your generocity and love!

 

[figment52]

Ok this is SO last minute but I really need Dis'ers help here. My son has the most awesome speech therapist and we've become very close and good friends and she has never been to Disney World. Her last session with my son is this coming week and I want to give her her dream trip to Disney world or at least help her to get there. I have no idea when she and her family would go or where she would want to stay so I don't think booking a package deal would work well. She's going back to work in a school setting verses going to parents homes so that's why she's leaving us after this week. I figured getting tickets would be good. It's for her, her husband, and her 7 year old son. Should I just flat out buy them for $900 at the disney store or is there a better solution? I was thinking 7 day tix also as opposed to 4 days because the savings is only $100. First timers I belive need 7 days. Thanks for all the help!.

Are you only planning on just buying park passes? Do you know that they can take the trip, ie - time off , transportation expenses, hotel bill, food budget etc? If you are planning on paying for everything then contact a Travel Agent that is a certified Disney Vacation Planner. They can help with the arrangements, work within your budget and their time and send you the bill. They do this more often than you may think.

 

[SandrA9810]

You could be incredibly sneaky and say "Would you like to join us on a family trip to the beach?", or anything that might be local in the state. That way it'll keep the line of communications open between you two after she leaves.

That way you can plan a good time frame for them to take the vacation. Then after you get your information out of her, you can surprise her with a change of plans and send her on her way to Disney with her family.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

There are time in my life where the tickets would have sit forever.

If you really want to send them, you need to be in for the long haul. I would buy her a card, set a dollar amount you are willing to pay (enough for a small vacation for the family at least) and put in the card of a travel agent. Let her know you are sending her family, that the "essentials" are paid for. Tell the travel agent the amount and let them work out the details.

The travel agent can bill you the amount you mentioned and then let her client (your give receiver know when she has hit her top amount and the rest would be up to her).

Nice gesture, but I really think it is one of those gifts where you are all in or all out.

 

[disneychic2]

What a kind and lovely thing to do! You got some great suggestions to think about. If you do end up getting tickets, I would get them from Undercover Tourist through Mousesavers since they give you a discount. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[cluvsdisney]

There are time in my life where the tickets would have sit forever.

If you really want to send them, you need to be in for the long haul. I would buy her a card, set a dollar amount you are willing to pay (enough for a small vacation for the family at least) and put in the card of a travel agent. Let her know you are sending her family, that the "essentials" are paid for. Tell the travel agent the amount and let them work out the details.

The travel agent can bill you the amount you mentioned and then let her client (your give receiver know when she has hit her top amount and the rest would be up to her).

Nice gesture, but I really think it is one of those gifts where you are all in or all out.

What a very generous idea. Is she already planing a trip with her family? If so, gifting her park tickets is very nice as long she wasn't booking a package.

If not, I agree with Tnker'nFun. One of my friends is on the receiving end of a Disney trip - their friends gave them dvc points in order to vacation with them at the Beach Club. Not including the costs to spend one day at universal, it's costing them well over $2,000.

 

[Fjobe]

Another suggestion would be a Disney Gift Card. This way she could use it for the room, tickets, or spending while at Disney.

 

[momtosam]

Another suggestion would be a Disney Gift Card. This way she could use it for the room, tickets, or spending while at Disney.

I think this would be the best idea, too. That way, if you are only providing tickets, she might get package deal on her own that would include the tickets already. She could maximize her savings just by applying your gift card to whatever she books.

 

[tasha99]

Wow--what a generous gift! First, though, was she a school speech therapist whose "school" was the home bound kids or was she in private practice? I'm a school slp, and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to legally accept such a large gift.

 

[peanutsmommy10]

Wow so glad I came here first. First off, she's a school employed speech therapist but why wouldn't or couldn't she accept such a gift? Also I would love to do a package with food tickets hotel and the works but I don't know her style tastes where she and her family would want to stay if they'd want to fly or drive etc. a Disney gift card is a great idea but that could go for more than just a vacation if you know what I mean. She could mistake that and just go to the Disney store and buy whatever she's never been to Disney and she said for her and her husbands 10th wedding anniversary next August shed love to go but didn't know if she could afford it.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Personally, I think while you are well meaning, this is a really inappropriate gift for a speech therapist, and if she is employed by the school system, it's very likely that she cannot accept such a gift. I would hope that she would refuse to accept this; it would be very awkward for you to offer this.

A better idea would be a nice letter written to her and her supervisor praising her work and maybe a small gift certificate to a local restaurant.

 

[vicki_c]

Personally, I think while you are well meaning, this is a really inappropriate gift for a speech therapist, and if she is employed by the school system, it's very likely that she cannot accept such a gift. I would hope that she would refuse to accept this; it would be very awkward for you to offer this.

A better idea would be a nice letter written to her and her supervisor praising her work and maybe a small gift certificate to a local restaurant.

Agree.

 

[peacelover]

I agree that it is inappropriate and would put her in a very awkward postion.. A thank you card and small gift certificate would be more than enough.

 

[JB2K]

Wow so glad I came here first. First off, she's a school employed speech therapist but why wouldn't or couldn't she accept such a gift?

Simply-put, the speech therapist is employed by either the local school district or the state (all depending on how your area schools are set-up). There is a rule among state and federal employees that they can't accept gifts totaling more than $20-25 -- the same most likely applies to the speech therapist.

In either case, her salary is funded by taxpayer dollars, which is where the "inappropriate" part comes-in.

Nice gesture, but a bit "over the top", and it could possibly cause a lot of unwanted trouble for the speech therapist...

 

[RitaE]

Are you thinking of buying her just tickets or are you going to give her money for hotel and I guess airfare/gas to get there?

I'm just a little .... amazed. I'm not sure amazed is even the right word for what I am.

It seems like an extremely excessive thank you gift. If she has been working through an agency or public program as part of early intervention she will likely be required to turn it down.

edit to add: I see where you say she is school employed. I'd be shocked if a school employee were allowed to accept a gift valued at thousands of dollars from a student family.

 

[sissy_ib]

Wow so glad I came here first. First off, she's a school employed speech therapist but why wouldn't or couldn't she accept such a gift? Also I would love to do a package with food tickets hotel and the works but I don't know her style tastes where she and her family would want to stay if they'd want to fly or drive etc. a Disney gift card is a great idea but that could go for more than just a vacation if you know what I mean. She could mistake that and just go to the Disney store and buy whatever she's never been to Disney and she said for her and her husbands 10th wedding anniversary next August shed love to go but didn't know if she could afford it.

One, let's pretend there is no question of if she can accept this gift.
A vacation pretty much anywhere is going to cost a lot of money. Thousands of dollars. Park tickets, hotel, food, airfare. Are you really going to spend that on this woman?
I don't think if you give her a Disney gift card for a few thousand dollars she is going to go on a shopping spree at the Disney Store.
If you were to book a vacation how do you know when of if she has the time to go? If you give her the park tickets as a gift she still might not be able to afford the rest. The park tickets are just one small part of the entire vacation.
I think gifting something as large as a weeks vacation is a bad idea as a simple thank you gift. For many reasons.

 

[peanutsmommy10]

Very true. I hadn't thought of that. She did say she wanted and would be going to Disney and was going to save her pennies as she put it so I know at some point she is going. I figured at least helping her out with tickets might be something. I do hear and get what everyone is saying. But a mere $25 gift card is not a thank you enough for what this woman has done for my son. Neither is a thank you card. I figured this would really special.

 

[sissy_ib]

Very true. I hadn't thought of that. She did say she wanted and would be going to Disney and was going to save her pennies as she put it so I know at some point she is going. I figured at least helping her out with tickets might be something. I do hear and get what everyone is saying. But a mere $25 gift card is not a thank you enough for what this woman has done for my son. Neither is a thank you card. I figured this would really special.

I don't think anyone was saying to give her a $25 gift card. When people were asking about a gift card they meant one large enough to cover the entire vacation.

I get that she has done a lot for your son, but that is her job. I'm sure she really is wonderful but if she is not allowed to accept gifts a thank you card and your sincere thanks are all you can give. I would check with her employer before you give her anything more.

 

[scottmel]

THis sounds like something I would do! LOVE the idea and anyone that has ever helped my DD - heck I would send them ANYWHERE as well!!!! I think I would speak to her privately about it and tell her what you want to dnce your son has "graduated" from the program she becomes a family friend and you can buy a family friend whatever you want, right? Completely worth it to do this for someone that has meant that much to your family.